Watashi no Tanzō Kekkonshiki
by LittleMissWolfie
Summary: When Yuuki moves to Tokyo, jobless and fresh out of college, her uncle makes a strange proposition. Now she has to pretend to be the wife of a perverted screenwriter until his newest screenplay is finished so Kuni will help her find a job. Will she survive this ordeal with her sanity and heart intact?


**Prologue**

"So this is Tokyo…"

With my luggage in hand, I stepped off the train and into the busy station. I could smell exhaust and sweat all around me, and everything was loud because everyone in the station was talking at once. In the distance, I could see Tokyo Tower, its bright red color standing out starkly against the clear blue sky. "I thought Kyushu was an urban area," I said to myself, adjusting the strap of my large bag, "but it's nothing compared to Tokyo. Am I really going to be able to live here?"

Thoughts of the future always made me nervous. Circumstances brought me here, though, so I'd have to deal with it. I couldn't turn back.

Then I remembered something. "First, I have to call Uncle Kunihiko_,_" I said (aloud, once more). I reached into my bag and fished for my cellphone. Uncle Kunihiko wasn't really my uncle. We were just distantly related. I hadn't seen him for years. He was the president of a large company in Tokyo, which was why I was here. I'd graduated from college, but failed to find a job. With no connections or prospects, I came to Tokyo in hopes that Uncle could help me out.

I pulled my phone out of my bag, feeling the familiar and almost comfortable weight of the light green plastic in the palm of my hand, and punched Uncle Kunihiko's number. After a few moments of ringing, a deep, velvety voice answered. "…Hello?"

"Oh, hello? It's Yuuki," I said, hoping I didn't sound nervous. After all, I was twenty-five now! I didn't have time to act like a star-struck country girl on her first trip to the city.

"Yuuki?" the man asked, sounding confused.

"Yuuki, from Kyushu," I urged.

Another moment, and then, "Oh, Yuuki-chan!" His voice was suddenly cheery, and I heard his loud laugh through the phone.

I relaxed at his easy laughing and happy voice._ For the president of a company, he's pretty easygoing._ "I'm at the station. Should I head to your place now?"

"Oh, could you pick up some things for me at the store first?"

"At the store?"

"I'll text you a list right now, so can you stop by the supermarket for me? I'd really appreciate it, Yuuki-chan."

"Sure," I agreed.

"Thanks! I'm really sorry about this, since you just got here, but I was in a real pinch! I'll send you the list now." Then the line went dead as he hung up. I rubbed my temples.

I got the text from him a few seconds later and flipped my phone open again. "Fenugreek, nigella seed, cardamom…What _are_ these?" I sighed, stuffed my phone back in my bag, and started off towards the nearest supermarket.

**私の鍛造結婚式**

_What a fancy supermarket…_ I thought as I walked the isles of the store. It was pristine, but not in a sterile way, and the walls were light maroon and off-white in color. All of the groceries were fresh and brightly colored. _I wonder where _Oji-san_'s things are._

As I was lost in my thought, one of my shoulders bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, spinning around. The person was a handsome young man with long-ish reddish-brown hair that was the same shade as his eyes, which were glaring at me. He was much taller than me, so I was instantly intimidated. I shivered. _He doesn't look happy._ "Um," I continued shyly, trying not to shrink under his glare, "do you know where I can find…" I glanced at my phone. "Fenugreek?"

The man gave me an exasperated look. "That's a spice, idiot."

I bristled. "Really? It's a spice?"

"You don't even know what you're buying?"

"_Oji-san_ needs me to pick some stuff up for him, but he only texted me the names," I explained.

He sighed in an irritated manner. "The spice section is over here," he said, grabbing one of my wrists. I almost stumbled at the brisk pace of his walking, but I was somehow able to keep up. When we got to the shelves, he released his grip on me. "Imported spices should be here," he said.

Sure enough, I spotted a container labeled "Fenugreek."

On the top shelf.

Well, crap.

Instead of swearing like I wanted to, I said, "Oh, um…"

The man sighed. "Geez, you need help with _everything_." He stretched his arm up to grab the bottle and tossed it in the basket on my arm. "What else do you need?" I showed him the text. After a moment, he said, "They're all spices." Without waiting for a response, he walked briskly down the isle again, snatching bottles of spices off the shelves. When he got back to me, he dumped them in the basket.

"Thank you for helping me," I reiterated earnestly, bowing slightly at the waist.

He huffed again. "Well, yeah."

"I thought they were vegetable names," I continued, trying to get more of a response out of him.

His eyes widened, an amusing look of shock on his face. "You don't know the difference between vegetables and spices?" he asked.

"Excuse me?"

"I feel for the guy who ends up marrying you." He spun on his heel and stalked away.

_How rude!_ I mentally snarled. _Just because I didn't know the names of spices?! I feel bad for the woman who marries such a brute like you!_ I readjusted the basket in my hand and headed towards the cashier.

**私の鍛造結婚式**

"According to the directions…it should be…this way…" I muttered, glancing between my map and the surrounding area. The plastic bag that was nestled in the crook of my elbow was biting uncomfortably into my skin and I was sure I looked weird carrying a suitcase, a large bag, and a grocery bag. I just wanted to get to Uncle's house quickly.

Instead of the residential district I'd expected, I was walking towards Azabu-Juban, a shopping district. It was very high end, like nothing I was used to. It was—much like everything else in Tokyo—very intimidating. _Do they have residences here?_

Just then, I walked passed a bridal store. In the display window were beautiful, white wedding gowns.

I won't lie. I've always wanted a family and a fairytale wedding. Most women do, right? But my family was poor, so it was probable that my wedding would be a simple thing with my mother's dress and a homemade wedding cake. The thought made me sigh.

A man stood in front of the display. His hair was abnormally light for a Japanese person, and he was tall. I could tell he was handsome from his side profile. As he stood, he stared at the display with what seemed to be a sort of longing. _I wonder if he's getting married soon. Whoever she is, she's lucky._

Suddenly he turned, and our eyes met. "What are you looking at?" he asked, a trace of an accent evident.

"Um, nothing," I replied. I quickly looked down and walked away.

**私の鍛造結婚式**

"Long Island…Like the island in New York?"

I'd arrived at the address on the paper…but it was a sports bar.

Let me reiterate: my _uncle_ lived in _a sports bar._

No matter how hard I looked, there were no residences in the area. I triple checked the address to make sure I had the right place. There was no mistaking it.

Suddenly, someone behind me spoke. "You're not going inside?"

I spun at the sound of the voice to see yet another handsome young man. This one was actually relatively close to my height, and his hair and eyes were both light. He wore an easy smile on his face, the kind that could make anyone feel relaxed. "Aren't you going in?" he continued. "The bar should be open now."

"Yeah," I replied, "but I think I'm at the wrong place."

"I see! Where do you want to go?"

"I came to see Aikawa Kunihiko, but I think I have the wrong address."

A devilish smirk overtook the man's face. "You're looking for Kuni? He's probably inside."

"Kuni?" I asked. "You know Uncle Kunihiko_?_"

"_Uncle_? He seems a little young to have a niece your age!"

I quickly waved my hand in a denying motion, recognizing the confusion. "Oh, he's not really my uncle."

The man shrugged. "Doesn't matter. We'll talk inside. C'mon in!" He pushed the door open for me and waved me into the bar. It was a very fancy bar, actually. There was climbing ivy on the decorative stone pillars along the back wall, and a large flat screen TV hung behind the bar, which was made of an almost golden red wood. The shelves behind the bar were stocked with expemsive liquor, most of which could easily cost more than my family home back in Kyushu. The man who led me in yelled towards the back of the bar. "Hey, Kuni! There's someone here to see you!"

"Someone?" A tall man stepped out of a door I hadn't even noticed behind the bar. He was tall, with long, curly black hair and a goatee. His cheeks were slightly flushed, as if he was expecting something else. I was starting to wonder if every man in Tokyo was this attractive. His face lit up when his eyes fell on me. "Yuuki-chan!" he cheered. "It's good to see you!"

"Uncle Kunihiko?" I hedged.

The man who led me in looked between us. "You guys know each other?"

"She's my distant relative!" Uncle explained, hopping the bar. "She came from Kyushu."

"Oh, so _that's_ what she meant by 'uncle_._'"

"You must be tired. Why don't you have a seat?" Uncle led me to the bar and sat me in a stool before moving back behind it. "Did you buy what I asked you to?"

I jolted. "Oh, yes. Here you go!" I handed him the plastic bag full of spices over the counter.

He grinned at me. "Thanks, Yuuki-chan. We ran out of these. I owe you big time."

"Is this bar your company?" I asked.

"No. I have my employees run the company; this bar is my hobby."

"A sports bar?" I questioned skeptically.

"Isn't it fun to watch sports with a lot of people?" he asked, face bright. "So I thought, why not open a sports bar?"

"He says a lot of people," the other man interjected, "but it's only a few regulars."

"It doesn't matter," Uncle insisted. "I'm running this bar as a hobby."

Just as I was thinking that Uncle looked and acted like a slacker and there was no way he could run a company, a news station popped up on TV. It was covering , Uncle's company. It showed a press conference with Uncle_,_ who was wearing a nice suit and tie. I was amazed at how different the man on the screen was from the man in front of me.

Uncle turned the TV volume down and turned to me. "So, Yuuki-chan, I heard you haven't found employment yet."

I flushed and looked at my knees. "Yes, that's true. I've been looking for work since I graduated from college."

"It's a tough market right now," Uncle consoled. "Bad economy…"

"Yeah, my sales pitches were rejected, too," the other man said.

"What do you sell?" I questioned.

"Oh, I'm a comedian. Have you heard of the duo name Fukumimi?"

I browsed my thoughts for a moment before answering. "I'm sorry; I'm not familiar with it."

His face fell slightly, though he kept a smile on his face. "Don't worry. We're still starting out." Then he thrust his hand at me, prompting me to shake it. "I'm Kajima Yuta. I'm the tsukkomi half of Fukumimi. Just remember our name, 'kay?"

Uncle laughed at the expression on my face. "I'll bet you didn't expect to meet a comedian as soon as you got to Tokyo, did you?"

"No," I agreed, "never in my wildest imagination."

Suddenly, Uncle seemed to get serious. "Anyway, sorry for the short notice…but there are a few people I'd like you to meet, Yuuki-chan."

"Huh?"

"Over there." I followed Uncle's finger with my eyes to the door of the bar, where two men were walking in. Uncle beckoned them to come over.

I stiffened. _A job interview already?_

One of the men walked up to me, an easy smile on his face. "Hello. I'm Maruyama Takao," he said as we shook hands. He had short brown hair and kind eyes, and his voice was soft. He handed me his business card, which bore the name of a large law firm.

"You're a lawyer, Maruyama-san?" I asked.

"There's no need for formalities," he insisted. "You can call me by my first name."

"Okay…Takao-kun."

"That's fine. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, bowing politely. I rushed to return the gesture. "Yuuki-san, I understand you're from Kyushu. Did you go to college there as well?"

"Yes, I've lived in Kyushu all my life."

"What did you study in college?"

"Um…" _Is the interview already starting? _"Um, may I ask you a question?"

"Oh, certainly," Takao-kun said kindly.

"I've only taken a few introductory courses on law in college. Is that okay?"

"You don't need to be familiar with the law. We're looking for someone with a friendly smile."

"Friendly smile?"

"I'm sure you will do just fine," Takao-kun assured.

_A friendly smile? Is it a receptionist job?_

As I thought, the second man moved forward. He had messy black hair and mischievous black eyes. The corners of his mouth were turned up in a smirk and the first few buttons of his white shirt were undone. "I guess it's my turn now," he said. "I'm Saeki Takamasa. I work in the entertainment industry. Sorry, but I'm all out of my cards today. I've been working in this field for yers, and I've built quite a name for myself."

"Entertainment industry!" I quietly marveled. _He looks it! He dresses well and he's good looking! I didn't know how much Uncle would help me, but this is great!_

Saeki-san smiled and he looked at me. "I've been looking for someone like you."

"What would I be doing?" I questioned.

"I want you to support me," he said, as if it should've been obvious.

"Support?"

"My job keeps me up day and night. I need someone who can stay by my side and support my work."

"I see," I said, nodding. _Like a personal assistant._

"And I want you to be my toy."

…What?

"Huh?" I asked, hoping I'd heard him wrong.

Uncle stepped in. "Well, I've introduced you to two of them so far. And the others…"

"Sorry I'm late!" a familiar voice called. I bristled.

Uncle glared at the man from the supermarket. "You're late, Yamato. I told you to be on time."

"I had to help a weird girl at the supermarket," Yamato-san huffed as he walked towards us. "So I couldn't get me things done and…"

"You're the man from earlier!" I yelled, pointing a finger at him.

"Huh?" He turned to look at me and gaped. "You're the one from the market!"

Uncle looked back and forth between us, a confused expression on his face, as Yamato-san stared at me. "You two know each other?"

"Kuni, is this the…" Yamato-san trailed off.

"Yeah, she's my distant relative."

"You gotta be kidding me!" Yamato-san groaned.

"Uncle Kuni," I said, nudging him with my elbow. "I don't think I'd be able to get along with Yamato-san. I don't think it would work out."

Yamato-san stared at me. "What do you mean?"

Uncle rubbed the back of his neck and didn't look at me. "Yuuki-chan, do you understand your position here?"

"What?" I asked.

"You're looking for a job, aren't you?"

"Yeah…"

He suddenly smirked at me. "Beggars can't be choosers. You have to take every opportunity you get."

I didn't respond to that, though I knew Uncle was right. I needed a job, and who was I to be picky? Even if I didn't like him, he could've ended up as my boss, so I decided to apologize to him. I took a deep calming breath and bowed to Yamato-san. "I'm sorry if I offended you earlier."

"I think I said some offensive things, too," he admitted grudgingly, though the admission was far from apologetic. "What's your name?"

"Huh?" I asked, confused by the sudden change in topic.

"I didn't get your name earlier."

"I'm Sakurai Yuuki. I'm from Kyushu, and…"

"I'm Kogami Yamato. That's it."

I took another deep breath. He was already starting to irritate me again. "What would I be doing for you?"

"I guess…serving tea. That's it."

_Serving tea? An administrative assistant position? I wonder what type of work Yamato-san does._

"There's one more…" Uncle said, looking around the bar. The door opened slowly and a slender man sauntered in. "Oh, there you are, Ren!" Uncle exclaimed.

"Yeah," said the man who was outside the bridal store earlier.

"We've been waiting for you, Ren!" Yuta-kun informed the taller man.

"Yeah," said Ren again. He sounded kinda tired.

Takao-san tried. "You're late. You should have called if you were running late." I had to stifle a giggle at Takao-san's tone—he sounded like a mother scolding her children!

Ren simply replied "Yeah," once more.

Uncle clapped me on the shoulder. "Sorry, Yuuki-chan. He's a little shy around strangers. He's Shibasaki Ren. He doesn't say much, but he has a great work ethic. He's researching a new drug, and..."

"Um, we met earlier," I said.

Ren-san blinked owlishly at me. "Huh?"

"Weren't you looking at wedding dresses on the way here?"

"No…"

"But you were standing in front of a store window."

He looked at me and, in a completely serious tone, said, "There was an unusual indoor plant."

I face-faulted. "An indoor plant." _Oh, he wasn't looking at the dresses._

"Ren, come here. Why don't you sit next to Yuuki?" Uncle suggested.

"No, I'm okay," said Ren-san. _He's kinda weird, but I can totally see him doing research._

"That's everyone!" Uncle announced.

Yuta-kun interjected, "Hey, wait! I'm one of the potential employers, too."

I blinked at him. "Huh?"

"It's no coincidence I'm here. I came for the same reason as everyone else."

A million thoughts went through my head. _Yuta-kun's a comedian, so what would I do for him? Do I have to be his partner? Just because I couldn't find a job didn't mean I could do something completely different!_ "Um, excuse me…" I said.

"Yes?" said Yuta-kun.

"I don't think I can write jokes."

"You don't have to worry about that!" he assured. "You just have to stand next to me."

"Okay, _now_ we got everyone," Uncle said again. "Gather around, guys!" All the men gathered around and started whispering. I could hear everything they were saying and (though it was mostly praise), I was getting irritated. I locked Eyes with Uncle, who laughed to try to break the tension.

I bristled. "It's no laughing matter! What's going on here? Who _are_ these people?"

Uncle looked surprise for a minute. "Didn't I tell you? We're all part of a local baseball team."

"Baseball team?" I questioned.

Yuta-kun took over once again. "Yeah. And we've all known each other since we were kids! We were all part of the same junior team."

"We work in different fields," Saeki-san said, "but we all still live in the same area."

"And we still play baseball from time to time, too," Takao-san continued.

And Uncle finished, "And I'm the coach. I hold the group together. Can't you tell?"

"Wait…" I said. "I thought they were all your work acquaintances, Uncle."

He once again looked stunned. "Huh? Why?"

"Because, isn't this a job interview?"

The atmosphere became rather uncomfortable at the two relatives looked at each other. "Nope. I didn't say that, did I?"

My mood fell. "But…"

"I'll find you a job," Uncle insisted, "but in return, I have a favor to ask you."

"A favor?" I repeated.

Uncle made a grand gesture to all the other men in the room. "Each of these guys has a problem they need help with, and the only one who can help them is you, Yuuki-chan. So I want you to help them with their problem."

I felt a bit daunted by the task. "All of them?" I asked nervously.

Another shocked expression overtook Uncle's face. "No, just one. In fact, you can _only_ help one."

I wondered why I could only help one out, and what they needed help with. "So what favor do you need done?"

"It's, um…" The other five gave Uncle worried looks. One was rubbing his hands nervously and another gulped hard. "I can't tell you just yet."

"What?"

Uncle looked away from me sheepishly. "It's a really tough matter and I can't tell you until you accept the favor."

"I can't accept something I don't know anything about!" I shot back.

An almost sad look crossed Uncle's face. "I understand that, but I need you to just accept it."

"I can't!" I insisted.

"Really?"

"No way!"

He just gave me a sly look as the two of us stared at each other. Uncle finally spoke. "Yuuki-chan…I wouldn't ask you to do anything weird, alright? It's a difficult task, but I believe you can do it. And I've known these guys since we were kids. If they have a problem they have to deal with, I want to help them, but I can't do anything for them. We need your help, Yuuki-chan."

"My help?" I looked at the five other men in the room. They all had hopeful looks in their eyes. I turned back to Uncle. "If I accept, you're going to help me get a job, right?"

"Of course! I'll do everything to find a job that's perfect for you, Yuuki-chan!"

I sighed. "If that's the case, then…"

"You'll accept?" urged Uncle, a grin on his face.

"Yes, if it's something I can help with."

The five men cheered as Uncle spoke again. "Great! Let me tell you each of their personalities. Firstly, there's Yamato. He's rude and mean. You might not get along with him at first, but deep down he's kind and warmhearted. He'll make quips, but he'll take care of you, no matter what. Once he takes you under his wing, he will never betray you. That's the man he is.

"And as for Saeki…because of his work, he may seem frivolous at times, but he is an earnest man. He will shower love to those who are close to him. He will respect who you are and treat you like a lady.

"And Ren. As you can tell, he is quiet and aloof. But the flipside to that is he's sincere and won't say more than what's needed. You may find it difficult to communicate with him at first, but once you feel comfortable with each other, I'm sure you'll feel at home with him.

"And as for Takao, he's a really sweet guy. He's generous and a guy you can count on. He will embrace you, and make you feel at ease.

"And, finally, Yuta. As you can see, Yuta is cheerful and lively. Just being with him should make you happy day and night. He may seem wanton, but he's actually sensitive and considerate. He is good at sensing how others feel. You will have a great time being with him. Hmm. But…well, don't worry about Yuta. His isn't too urgent."

Yuta made an annoyed sound under his breath at Uncle's last comment.

"So that's it for introductions. I want you to select one, Yuuki-chan." Uncle looked at me expectantly. "Who do you want to help?"

"Uh…" I flushed as I looked at all of them again and pointed.


End file.
